A new video on YouTube shows the work of UKAzzer, who has (apparently) intrepidly worked out how to play the new SimCity offline with some home hacking, in spite of EA's suggestions this would be a massive, if not impossible undertaking (thanks Videogamer). Here's word:

So with a little bit of package editing within SimCity, and a little playing about in the code, it's possible to enable debug mode. I linked the activation to the "Help Center" button in the main menu for ease. Most debug features are disabled without having an actual developer's build (they have terraforming tools etc. available in the full developer build!), but a few things do still work - including editing the main highways.

Not only that - but you can edit the highways ANYWHERE - even outside of your city boundary... and even if you quit the game and log back in later, it's all saved safely on the server.

This shows that highway editing will be easily possible, AND that editing outside of the artificially small city boundaries should be very viable too.

Other things I have modded out with a quick change: Unlimited time to remain disconnected (won't get booted at 20 minutes, can now be disconnected "forever"). Population count now shows REAL figure, not the "artificially inflated" figure. My large cities have a population of about 15k now, not 100k :P

Bought. Without the irritating always-on crap, it looks like a great game. That video that was linked earlier constantly had me trying to click and place stuff and then grumble because I was just watching a video.

Thanks for figuring out how to get everything for the cheapest possible price, Dev!!

Creston

I've also bought it. Take that EA, I might buy your shitty game but I won't play it. So there. (Until it's patched or I get bored.)

No problem, glad to see people enjoying it. I am enjoying it myself so far.

Jivaro wrote on Mar 14, 2013, 16:12:I am not arguing with anything you just said RT, however it is fair to point out that the "early EA" has about as much in common with today's EA as the early Atari has with today's Atari.

The hatred expressed here, imho, is born out of that disappointing reality. It is repeated with the hopes that more people will see the points and do exactly what you are suggesting...not buy from them. Unfortunately, human nature is such that if all the vocal people stop talking, the non-vocal people start forgetting. It is why these companies get away with what they do...gamers, on the whole, have the memories of a gnat and the attention span of a fruit fly. If people are interested in change the need to remain vocal about it. On social media, on fan sites, on news sites, one private forums, and most importantly on the official forums.

I am not saying it doesn't get tiresome, and I am not saying that it doesn't seem very odd to hear people complain about EA and yet buy their games because "SHINY!!!" or "I have been a fan since before you were born!!", I am just saying that "shut up and deal with it" has never changed anything. Unfortunately.

If you have a brain and can think rationally its easy to vote with your wallet. I havent bought a single EA game since Mass Effect 2 and never will again.

I think it is partially because this is not the first game in the series and they probably assume those people playing it are familiar with the basics.

I agree there should be a better tutorial for the game though. It is not a simple casual game to play, a lot more complex then it looks, and unless you actively playing it it is hard to wrap your head around it for sure.

I've put about 8hrs into the game so far and still have no clue wtf am I doing

I've only got about 18 hrs (minus some afk idle time) and I'm still having a problem wrapping my head around everything that needs to be done in the game. The game does a poor job teaching you how to play the game.

SpectralMeat wrote on Mar 15, 2013, 13:07:Speaking of LAN party, if you watch that video I posted earlier, he mentions that you can build a city in Anno with a friend in coop then save a copy for yourself and continue on solo. Your friend can do the same and later on you can compare your cities and decide which one you want to continue on with in a coop game.

Yeah I just finished watching it. That part of it is great, and THAT is how MP should work. None of this forced bullshit that EA shoves up people's asses.

I'm glad Ubisoft wised up on their DRM crap. They release some genuinely cool games.

Anno is a really awesome game ones you get into it but it will take a bit of time to learn it.

It looks simple yet deep. The UI seems very intuitive and it adheres to simple mechanics for everything, but it continues those through an impressively long tech tree. I'm pretty excited to start playing it.

SpectralMeat wrote on Mar 15, 2013, 12:14:I better call Ubi for my cut from all the BluesNews sales

When you buy that island in the South Pacific with it, make sure to invite us over for a LAN party!

Creston

lol sure thingSpeaking of LAN party, if you watch that video I posted earlier, he mentions that you can build a city in Anno with a friend in coop then save a copy for yourself and continue on solo. Your friend can do the same and later on you can compare your cities and decide which one you want to continue on with in a coop game.Sounds like many of the ideas SimCity devs had and wanted to incorporate into SimCity.

Region play in Anno is equal to playing on multiple island and dedicate islands for food production for example and transfer the goods from there to your main island etc.Anno is a really an awesome game ones you get into it but it will take a bit of time to learn it.This is my first Anno game so people who have played any of the previous ones before will probably be more familiar with the concept then I am.

Your Ark is also gets carried from one game to the next so if you unlock any of the upgrades etc you can load them up and start a new game with a bunch of stuff maxed out.Like I said if you watch the video guide I posted a lot of the things he will explain.

Bought. Without the irritating always-on crap, it looks like a great game. That video that was linked earlier constantly had me trying to click and place stuff and then grumble because I was just watching a video.

Thanks for figuring out how to get everything for the cheapest possible price, Dev!!

Creston

I've also bought it. Take that EA, I might buy your shitty game but I won't play it. So there. (Until it's patched or I get bored.)

Bought. Without the irritating always-on crap, it looks like a great game. That video that was linked earlier constantly had me trying to click and place stuff and then grumble because I was just watching a video.

Thanks for figuring out how to get everything for the cheapest possible price, Dev!!

Granted, some of them had more intrusive DRM than the one described in the interview, but they did not require you to be online at all times.

and this:

You’re wrong. Anno does not, I repeat DOES NOT require you to be online at all times. You can’t use some features if you aren’t online, but the game is perfectly playable.

Just like Driver SF, Ghost Recon Future Soldier and Rayman Origins.

here is another one:

Just booted my Desktop and pulled out the internet cable just to prove you wrong. And as it turns out: you’re wrong.

Starting Anno 2070 with an internet connection is two (2) clicks:1. Click the desktop symbol2. Click “play” in the uPlay launcher

Starting Anno 2070 without an internet connection is four (4) clicks:1. Click the desktop symbol2. Click “start” after uPlay tells you there is no connection3. Click “go offline” in the window that appears4. Click “play” in the uPlay launcher

Yep nothing like a tutorial video done by a British guy British accent:

"Now then, the first thing you want to do before you do anything is deny ascension rights. If you don't they will nick all the shit from your warehouse and you will have no tools to build when you need it, the greedy little fucks!"

My problem is if I do not play the game for a while I totally forget how the whole thing works and have to watch some of those videos again.